Every now and then it’s good to seperate yourself from your phone or at least social media. You can obviously just leave your phone at home when you go out but most of us still need our phones on us so we can make calls and texts. The problem sometimes is when you find yourself spending too much time on games and apps that take up a lot of time. Becoming addicted to your phone for example can result in a loss of productivity, relationship and mental health issues. In a world where everyone is using a phone daily, it’s important to step back and have a digital detox every now and again.
Ironically there are apps that can help with this in different ways. In this post I’ll be looking at some of the best digital detox apps for your phone, each doing different things to help you unchain yourself from your phone and help you become more productive.
Moment
The Moment app is a simple app for tracking your screen time and how many times you pick up and unlock your phone each day. Interestingly, you can join groups inside the app so you can challenge each other and keep up to date with how everyone is improving their screen time. This is a great digital detox app and it has a clean and fun user interface.
Flipd
The Flipd app is probably one of the best digital detox apps out there right now. Just like the Moments app, you can join groups with others and set each other challenges. The difference with this digital detox app is that you can set your own amount of daily screen time. Once the timer runs out, all social media apps will disappear for your desired time amount but you’ll still be able to used calls and texts.
You can track your screen time and review it over time too. The Flipd app focuses on making you more productive if you’re studying for an exam, for example. You can use the built in soothing sound tracks for increased focus and calmness. From crackling fires to light rain, the tracks on this app are beautiful.
I love this app because it offers free gift vouchers and coupons to keep you motivated to use it. The app is free but if you want the full experience you’ll need to pay $0.99 per month to unlock them. However, the free version is already packed with features.
Forest
I love this digital detox app because it’s so unique. This digitial detox app won’t close your social apps down but it uses a kind of game scenario to keep you productive. When you want to complete a task and not be distracted by your phone, simply open this app and ‘plant a seed’. Your seed will then grow into a tree as the timer goes up.
However, if you open your phone before the timer is up, your tree will die and you’ll have to start again. This is great for procrastinators. The app also encourages you to spend virtual coins that you’ll get everytime you grow a tree and when you do this, Forest will plant a tree in the real world! Not only will you stay focused more but you’ll be planting new trees in the real world!
Like the other best digital detox apps in this list, you can track your progress over time and view your ‘forest’ which is exactly that. Every tree you’ve grown will be represented in a digital forest. Keep being productive and grow your forest!
AppDetox
AppDetox is a great all round digital detox app. With this app you can select which apps you want to limit. You can then set specific rules. For example, you can select the time of day you want access to certain apps and the number of times you can open them.
Like all the other detox apps on this list, you can view your app usage and block some apps entirely. Lock the apps you need to and concentrate on being productive with this detox app.
Checky
Checky is a simple digital detox app that does the simple job of telling you how many times you unlock and check your phone each day. Even though this is a simple function, it’s an important one as it can help you to form better habits. You might just be surprised how many times you check your phone in a single day!
Siempo
Siempo is a great app for simplifying your home screen. With so many noisy apps going off all day long, this app helps you to set intervals throughout the day for when you want your notifications. It also takes away all your app icons from the home screen of your phone and replaces them with a beautiful photo.
Your Phone will look a lot different when you open it and I personally think this is one of the best digital detox apps for cleaning up your home screen.
ShutApp
ShutApp shuts your apps up! This app is best for those who have a competitive nature. All you have to do is set your time, invite your friends to join the challenge and not check your phone until the timer is up. See how long you can go and beat your friends with this cool looking digital detox app.
Mute
Check your screen time and pickups with Mute. This app will help you track how much time you’re spending on your phone as well as telling you how long you’ve gone between pickups. Another handy feature with Mute is that it will send you motivational notifications, reminding you of your stats.
Cleverest
Cleverest is a clean and easy experience and its aim is to help you break work up into sections. Simply set a time duration and keep your focus for that amount of time. If you do, you’ll help your avatar grow and flourish. The app is built around the Pomodoro Technique – breaking tasks down into smaller chunks helps you stay focused and motivated.